Wichita eagle., 1887-12-17

Daily Wages.
The cranberry bog is now dry. The vines
you must know, are but few inches above
ground, and the ground is red with the de
licious fruit This bog | now describe may
be six to ten rods square, more or less. Lines
are fastened to pegs in the ground, dividing
the ground into rows or alleys some five or
six feet wide. The pickers begin two in each
of these rows. Down on their marrow bones,
old men and women, young men and maid
ems, and children, too-any one that viii
work and stick to IT, Such the owners must
have. Each person is provided with a ''meas-
urea tin vessel holding just six quarts.
With the measure" between the knees the
picker claws, and rakes, and scoops with his
or her fingers and gathers the berries in
Some leaves and sticks, and with some
rcgues DO 8, of coUrse) much besides Der
rieS go into the measure-the screening pro-
cess later on separating the fruit clean and
pure. But the one that is too careless or dis
honest in his pickings finds, maybe that the
old truth, "The way of the transgressor is
hard, has not died out on the cape. ''No
more of your pickings here blast your ewes
Doncher know cranberries from grass and
sticks and THINGS Git outln And so the de
lInquent picker hangs back for q spell. to try
again, or maybe trOts on TO the next bog to
see if he or she may not perhaps do better.
For it must be known that picking on the
cape is a matter Of no little Importance 10
these hardy SONS and daughters of the soil.
it means bread and butter and clothes and
ribbons and things to these girls and bows
and men and women, who have TO push hard
in many ways through the year 70 make both
ends meet
On they so, the rows all full, two by two
a man and his wife in one row. two sisters in
another, two hardy young men in another.
Old Drat-lt-all-so called from his constant
use of the word at any annoyance or sur
prise that meets hinn-has his grandson b.
his side, Just learning to pick; in spirit and
neart and strength they are two children to-
gether. And here and there, 10 mistake
about it, Young man and young woman
are by themselves in another row, each OF
whom believes that The company Of The other
is about the best there can be this side the
heavenly shore You hear but little tall
from them as they creep along upon their
knees. They hear and understand eacl
other, TO be sure, but no one else knows of
their converse.
It is hard on tho hands, this berry picking.
Some wear finger stalls. but others NOTHING.
and at night their poor finger ends are red.
sore, aching and seem covered with chang
nails Think of this, We families, as you
smack your chops next winter over the lunch
Of turkey and ahD that relishng cranberry
sauce-tbe berries gathered with the pains
and patience of this same earnest, good
hearted fellow, or this same best girl of his.
on the respondent September day Some OF
the pickers can pick two measures to the
others one A smart housewife will leave
her kitchen and children to the care of the
husband, and, while lie minds the dinner pot.
does the chores and smokes his pipe, she viii
''go out a-pickin' and earn $1.50-yes, 81
day. ITS real nice" said one to me the
other evening, ITO go a-pickin' and grow fat
on it. learnt last fall well Oh to so a-pick-
in cranberries, while Bile, here, stayed at
home and took care Of thingg"
a new picker cannot earn easily more than
fifty TO sixty cents a day 10 start with, and
after the first days attempt if he does not
wake up next morning sorcr and sitter than
any army mule after a days campaign. WHY
then he is smart AND enduTing-thats all.
The whole work is done on the hands and
knees. An intelligent young man among the
pickcTs said to me- Doesn't it remind one of
the southern slaves that used 10 ber well.
| said, ASA picture photographed YOU niclit
cali it slavery on the Cape; but then it is not
cotton field. You are not a negro nor a |
slave. That overseer that stands behind the
rows to see if you don't monkey your meas
ure carries no whip. He's rather Tree with
his slang and 'cuss' words, but you can talk
as well as he. You can vote next November
as many times as he can. If he abuses your
sister with has slang or too much dictation
you can up and ct him with your tongue or
fists if necessary. You are a sovereign as
great as lie, and, thank God, You are a fre5
American citizenm chats So said the
brawny fellow; and he skipped back with his
emptied measure to his row. and was fast
filing il gain, with all the spirit and will of
a man that's bent on success and q living.
Each person carrying fall measure six
quarts mo partial measure is counted. TO
the house or place OF screening and pack
ing, receives a ticket When picker can
show ten Of these first tickets he can ex-
change them for one new ticket Of ten times
the value, and 50 on; and As the time pro-
crosses this arrangement is siupifie6 and |
carefully looked after, so that at the end one |
can sum up his earnings very easily.
The plcllers 20 10 work at a very reaSoua- !
bic hour-from 7:30 70 a. m.-many OF |
them. mothers Of families and others, com
ing several miles to the ground after morning |
homework is done. At noon all knock of |
for yheir lunch under the trees, among the |
bushes. or in some convenient house An |
hour or less Of rest and chat, sometimes a |
little sport, and the afternoon toll begins.
Pick, scratch, scrape. and pick. Time |
after time the full measure goes to the |
''houSe, until the frightening shadows come. |
The overseer keeps behind, presenting, it |
mus toe confessed, a slight suggestion of the |
old slave driver Of the southern cotton field |
or the diamond mine; but, as before said, be |
hes no whip. and ii is sort of free slavery |
Ii you don't like the work and place. Just up |
and 'git"-no man is YOUR master Only. if |
You choose TO pick craubergieS, you must
pick them clean and TAR Yen must fill
your measure and keen out all sticks. rub
bish. etc, 81 lar as possible; and vou must |
not skyark it too much with your work
mates
The last half OF the meaSureful of the day
say about 40 or As o'ciock-is about /
the hardest part of the days job. Bat u
little more scratching, lew more wide,
clean sweeps OF the weary hands and the Lass !
bTimful measure-lt may he YOUR twelfth !
or possibly Your twentieth, If You are an ex-
.,ert-is done and the head man shouts. All
off :" and with the crowd Of thirty or forty 9th
Frs you hurry to the house, take your turn
10 empty, receive a new ticket or exchange |
those you have, hang up -Four measure and
think of home. Horses are put in, coats and
Jerseys put on, dinner baskets seized aud the
,rowd scatrers after the "Goodbys. See |
7ou tomorrow. Jim, Coming TO Crowens
1og. Maud, tomorrow ETC. etc-Barn-
table County MaSs Cor Chirarn Trihuns |